Raptors feel they can put together the best trade package for Kevin Durant

There’s an increasing possibility we’re going to find out. On top of ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reporting Friday that the Raptors are ‘lurking’ in the background of the Kevin Durant trade discussions that have held the NBA hostage in recent days, I can confirm that not only are the Raptors ‘lurking,’ but they also feel they can put together the best package of assets the Brooklyn Nets are likely to get.
Source: SportsNet

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

Josh Martin @LonzoWire
With KD demanding a trade from the Nets, the Bulls attempted to join the sweepstakes. lonzowire.usatoday.com/2022/07/01/rep… – 4:00 AM Sam Vecenie @Sam_Vecenie
Folks, it’s WILD KEVIN DURANT TRADE SPECULATION TIME with @FearTheBrown and I on the podcast:
https://t.co/EoI3MTeT0h pic.twitter.com/hYOh2X4bxI – 1:00 AM

Sam Vecenie @Sam_Vecenie
GAME THEORY PODCAST: Free Agency/Trades Deep Dive with @FearTheBrown!
-Gobert Trade
-Kyrie for Russ?
-Brogdon trade!
-Brunson, 76ers, Blazers,
-More KD trade speculation!
GOING LIVE NOW: https://t.co/EoI3MTeT0h pic.twitter.com/tEg6zg3lNq – 11:18 PM

Mark Deeks @MarkDeeksNBA
So according to the current news cycle, Russell Westbrook might be rejoining Kevin Durant in Brooklyn, however briefly, and Kyrie Irving might be rejoining James Harden in Philadelphia. Yeahhhhh, it’s bed time. – 10:41 PM Kellan Olson @KellanOlson
no kd trade during this ufc card pls thx – 10:07 PM Ryan Ward @RyanWardLA
It’s pretty crazy to think that the Nets went from having three legit superstars (KD, Kyrie, Harden) to potentially having none before the start of next season.
A superstar trio that scared the rest of the league to a potential rebuild. NBA is wild these days! – 9:05 PM Tommy Beer @TommyBeer
Going from KD, Kyrie and Harden to Ben Simmons, Russ Westbrook and Royce O’Neal in the span of six months is, um… not great
#ScaryHours – 8:04 PM Fred Katz @FredKatz
My favorite Russell Westbrook-Kevin Durant anecdote I’ve ever written. Was cracking up when I heard this one the first time.
From this story: https://t.co/aO4NKlAb0E pic.twitter.com/yyGMLM0raY – 8:00 PM

Fred Katz @FredKatz
If Durant gets traded, they may never step in the same locker room; they may never cross paths at the practice facility. I don’t know what BKN would decide with Westbrook. But if a Russ-for-Kyrie deal happens first, for a brief, fleeting moment Russ & KD would be back together. – 7:55 PM Sean Highkin @highkin
One of the two players involved here is so toxic that he had his team willing to lose Kevin Durant rather than deal with him for another year. As flawed as Russ is, you don’t have to worry about him showing up to work. – 7:50 PM John Hollinger @johnhollinger
The Heat’s Summer League team is going nowhere fast. They need to push their chips in for Kevin Durant.
MY COLUMN: – 6:53 PM Sam Quinn @SamQuinnCBS
Wonder if the Suns would use their MLE to bring back TJ Warren if they have to trade Cam and Bridges for Durant. – 6:36 PM Kamenetzky Brothers @KamBrothers
ICYMI, Friday’s @LockedOnLakers podcast! We react to free agency so far with the Lakers, and the latest rumors linking Kyrie (and even KD???) to L.A. @LockedOnNetwork @LockedOnNBAPods
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lak… – 6:29 PM Steve Popper @StevePopper
Popper: Rejected by Kyrie, KD, Knicks better off
Duo would have brought talent and headaches to Madison Square Garden. newsday.com/sports/columni… – 6:28 PM Anthony Chiang @Anthony_Chiang
Heat looks to be in a holding pattern in free agency after receiving two Day 1 commitments, as Kevin Durant watch continues miamiherald.com/sports/nba/mia… Jovic signed his rookie contract with the Heat today, which means he can’t be traded for the next 30 days – 5:59 PM Brady Hawk @BradyHawk305
Heat now down 21-7
Where is Kevin Durant? – 5:19 PM Ira Winderman @IraHeatBeat
Haywood Highsmith begins earning his keep for summer Heat. sun-sentinel.com/sports/miami-h… Also: Cody Martin gets his, as twin brother/Heat free-agent forward Caleb Martin waits. And: A twist on a possible Heat-Durant move. – 4:56 PM Anthony Chiang @Anthony_Chiang
NEW: Heat looks to be in a holding pattern in free agency after receiving two Day 1 commitments, as Kevin Durant watch continues miamiherald.com/sports/nba/mia… – 4:54 PM Jake Madison @NOLAJake
Sure, it was a interesting discussion about a Zion/Durant swap in the beginning but that crap went on way to long and got way too blown up – 4:51 PM Jake Madison @NOLAJake
Windhorst had to be LOVING the past few days. Where do you think his Pelicans hope to put Willie Green in a room with Kevin Durant came from? – 4:30 PM Chris Fedor @ChrisFedor
And here is another feature on #Cavs Darius Garland’s meteoric rise that traces back to his time with Team USA last summer and the role Kevin Durant played
cleveland.com/cavs/2022/03/w… – 4:25 PM Brian Geltzeiler @BGeltzNBA
So according to reports, Kevin Durant wants to be traded to the destination of his choice with 4 years left on his contract BKN and wants to direct who he’s traded to one of those places for. Regardless of who he is and what he’s accomplished, he doesn’t have this leverage – 3:49 PM Vivek Jacob @vivekmjacob
when trying to figure out the right price the raptors should considering paying for KD, these are the main factors influencing my thoughts: pic.twitter.com/1xjWgnJQ5v – 3:08 PM

Sirius XM NBA @SiriusXMNBA
“The Nets need to do what is best for them”
@TermineRadio reacts to the massive breaking news of Kevin Durant requesting a trade from the Brooklyn Nets #NetsWorld pic.twitter.com/6csj9KY6fp – 2:50 PM Tim Reynolds @ByTimReynolds
I think every possible KD trade scenario has now been sourced on Twitter. No further applications are being accepted at this time. – 2:30 PM Gerald Bourguet @GeraldBourguet
ICYMIY, I brainstormed a few (read: 11) potential trades for the Suns to get Kevin Durant to Phoenix: bit.ly/3bLNbrT – 2:02 PM Brian Robb @BrianTRobb
Talking Malcolm Brogdon, Danilo Gallinari, Kevin Durant, NBA free agency and much more with the great @Tim_McKone on @985TheSportsHub from 2-4 p.m. today. Listen in! – 1:53 PM Michael Scotto @MikeAScotto
Sources: Before eventually trading Rudy Gobert to the Timberwolves, the Jazz inquired about the possibility of trading for Raptors starters OG Anunoby and Gary Trent Jr. Plus, what the Gobert trade means for the Kevin Durant trade market on @Jorge Sierra. hoopshype.com/lists/nba-rumo… – 1:36 PM Brian Lewis @NYPost_Lewis
Why the #Nets‘ impending implosion was worth the wager on the Kyrie Irving-Kevin Durant pairing. They just lost the big bet nypost.com/2022/07/02/net… via @nypost – 1:31 PM Callie Caplan @CallieCaplan
Doesn’t look like Luka is super worked up about the Mavs’ approach to free agency while they (and the rest of the NBA) gauge the Kevin Durant trade fallout.
So maybe everyone should take a nap or put on a SpongeBob hat, too. pic.twitter.com/SEAUaj8zw4 – 12:40 PM

Bobby Marks @BobbyMarks42
BACK to recap DAY 2️⃣ of NBA Free Agency! | NBA on ESPN
– The making of the touchscreen
– Sleep deprivation
– The 3 trades from Friday
– Best available and recent signings
– KD and Kyrie
and more…
youtu.be/m8rG4mYCjyE via @YouTube – 12:36 PM Ira Winderman @IraHeatBeat
Ira Winderman: What do Herschel Walker, Rudy Gobert, James Harden and Kevin Durant have in common? It’s the picks (not to rub your nose in it). How trades are becoming buffets of draft choices (and the mother of all such deals). sun-sentinel.com/sports/miami-h… – 12:15 PM Kurt Helin @basketballtalk
Kevin Durant sends out cryptic Tweet in first comment since trade request nba.nbcsports.com/2022/07/02/kev… – 12:02 PM Sirius XM NBA @SiriusXMNBA
What would happen if the Brooklyn Nets traded Kevin Durant to the New York Knicks?
Longtime NY sports radio host @MikeFrancesa tells @Brian Geltzeiler and @EvCoRadio it would be a disaster for the Nets franchise. pic.twitter.com/oC9na6lEvi – 11:33 AM

Jake Madison @NOLAJake
So in non Kevin Durant/Zion Williamson things it just dawned on me how Dell Demps has his fingerprints all over the Rudy Gobert for 5 first round picks trade. Which…checks out – 11:31 AM Jake Madison @NOLAJake
The start of NBA free agency and trade season makes people go nuts. I’ll maintain the reason I think we haven’t heard official (or more certainly) about a Zion extension is just due to getting the details ironed out. Not because the Pelicans are trading him for Durant – 11:16 AM CBS NBA @CBSSportsNBA
Kevin Durant breaks silence since trade request from Nets, sends out cryptic tweet
https://t.co/gL8zHvbSru pic.twitter.com/rFllFwCPCk – 11:16 AM

Vincent Goodwill @VinceGoodwill
ICYKI: Kyrie Irving is the ultimate mirror, putting everything you think you are on trial, and it looks like the Nets were found guilty by a jury of two. So, KD will go and Irving will go to parts unknown sports.yahoo.com/kevin-durants-… – 11:06 AM Jason Calmes @BourbonStShots
I tweeted a few days ago that fan goals vary by person, and that’s okay. Whatever the goal — anticipating that anyone on any roster will be better than a top 15 player of all time (like KD is) is an awfully optimistic viewpoint. -MP – 11:05 AM Joe Cowley @JCowleyHoops
Zach LaVine is rich, Derrick Jones Jr. is still the Bulls’ best undersized shot-blocker, and KD is still out of reach – Day 2 summary of free agency …
Read it:
chicago.suntimes.com/bulls/2022/7/1… – 10:30 AM Scott Kushner @ScottDKushner
This Durant conversation is the most interesting wedge issue I’ve ever seen regarding the Pelicans.
Opinions are strong, and most are well-reasoned in all directions, b/c Pels have a lot of good options.
It’s come a long way from the Trevon Bluiett saga, folks. – 10:12 AM Christos Tsaltas @Tsaltas46
Valencia’s newcomer, Chris Jones, is trying to recruit Kevin Durant to the Spanish team.
Btw, KD’s looking good in orange uniform! #Valencia #Durant #NBAFreeAgency pic.twitter.com/Xbo3m62bik – 10:10 AM

Tim MacMahon @espn_macmahon
The Hoop Collective’s Day 2 free agency YouTube special delves into the question of the day — “What’s going on in Utah?” — discusses the new Twin (Cities) Towers and speculates on some potential KD deals. @Brian Windhorst @Tim Bontemps m.youtube.com/watch?v=zPXMWr… – 10:06 AM David Aldridge @davidaldridgedc
ICYMI: For the third time in six years, Kevin Durant is moving on, looking for the perfect fit. But is there one out there for the NBA’s enigmatic superstar? The great @Marcus Thompson and I contemplate, in @TheAthletic: bit.ly/3ODxT6Z – 10:00 AM Christian Clark @cclark_13
New Orleans is one of two NBA franchises to never pay the luxury tax. KD is owed $44.1M, $47.1M, $51.2M, $54.7M. Getting him almost certainly pushes you into tax territory. forbes.com/sites/markdeek… – 9:36 AM Kevin Durant @KDTrey5
The ones who were locked in that gym with me know what it is, they know what I’m about. If u haven’t been in there with me, ask around – 9:09 AM Shandel Richardson @ShandelRich
Is keeping Butler, Adebayo and Lowry in Durant trade even possible? #miamiheat si.com/nba/heat/miami… – 6:58 AM

More on this storyline

There is also a sense – though it’s reading tea leaves at this stage, as teams can’t communicate directly with Durant, who remains under contract with the Nets – that the two-time champion and 11-time all-NBA force of nature is at least open to the possibility of playing in Toronto. -via SportsNet / July 3, 2022 SNY NBA Insider Ian Begley reports that according to his sources, there is momentum building towards a Kyrie Irving for Russell Westbrook deal. Ian also touches on the Kevin Durant trade request. -via Yahoo! Sports / July 3, 2022 The Wolves also made several calls to Brooklyn on Kevin Durant, sources said, but the Nets were asking for established All-Stars and a mountain of picks. Minnesota was unwilling to part with either Edwards or Towns in a KD-centered deal, so there was no traction. Had they gotten more aggressive with San Antonio in talks for Dejounte Murray, they could have outbid Atlanta. But they didn’t, making it clear that they always valued Gobert more. -via Jon Krawczynski @ The Athletic / July 3, 2022